Names In The News

NAMES IN THE NEWS

October 21, 2005

Grants

Dr. Felipe Andrade

Dr. Felipe Andrade, an assistant professor of rheumatology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine based at the Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, is one of 15 scientists nationwide to be awarded three-year, $300,000 grants from the Lupus Research Institute.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes inflammation of various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. It affects roughly 1.5 million Americans.

Andrade's project is titled "Exploring the Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Lupus Remission," and will investigate reasons why some people with lupus spontaneously improve.

Dr. Brian Berman

Dr. Brian Berman, director of the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine, will direct research funded by two federal grants totaling $10 million to study the effectiveness and mechanisms of traditional Chinese treatments such as herbal medicines and acupuncture.

The first grant, $6 million, finances a clinical trial of an 11-herb Chinese formula known as HLXL to see if it can help patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Another $4 million grant will be used to study traditional Chinese medicine for treating functional bowel disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome.

"For centuries, millions of people have used the treatments of traditional Chinese medicine for all kinds of ailments. Now we have the opportunity to apply Western scientific standards to see if these therapies really help people and, if so, why," Bernam said.

Studies

Dr. Richard Chaisson

Dr. Richard Chaisson, a Johns Hopkins infectious disease expert, will lead two international studies of the effectiveness of the antibiotic moxifloxacin as a new treatment for tuberculosis.

The research is part of a series of studies on moxifloxacin announced this week by the nonprofit Global Alliance for TB Drug Development and Bayer Healthcare AG, the drug's maker. If the trials are successful, moxifloxacin would be the first new drug certified to treat tuberculosis in 40 years.

In addition to the moxifloxacin study, Chaisson directs the Hopkins-based Consortium to Respond Effectively to the AIDS/TB Epidemic, called CREATE, an international effort to control the spread of tuberculosis.

Deborah McGuire

Deborah McGuire, a professor in the University of Maryland School of Nursing's Department of Organizational Systems and Adult Health, has been appointed to a national task force sponsored by the Oncology Nursing Society that is developing standards for advanced practice nurses in oncology.

McGuire, an oncology specialist, was also co-author of an article on the cancer pain of older Israeli adults in the journal Supportive Care in Cancer, and an article on symptom clusters in Cancer Nursing.

Appointments

Jerry A. Krill

Jerry A. Krill has been appointed assistant director for programs at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory near Laurel. In his new capacity, he will oversee more than 400 APL programs.

Krill previously led the lab's Power Projection Systems division, directing research in air and missile defense systems, as well as directing APL's information systems research. He will also serve as the laboratory's chief quality officer.

A resident of Ellicott City with a doctorate in engineering from the University of Maryland, Krill joined the laboratory staff in 1973 and was a key developer of the Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability system, which links air defense systems within a battle group.